Whisper it on Merseyside or in Milan, or even in those pockets of Lancashire and Hertfordshire where optimism lingers, but the suspicion grows that Manchester United and Chelsea are converging inexorably on the season's grand finale. A trio of possible meetings between the clubs, to be staged within just over two weeks in May, could decide this season's major honours. Sky have already brought us Judgment Day and Super Sunday Summit in recent times, though voiceover men everywhere will be struggling to contain their excitement at the dramatic sobriquets to come.

Three mouthwatering tête-à-têtes remains possible rather than probable at present. Both clubs still have to get through the Champions League quarter-finals, and then potentially beyond Liverpool or Milan in the semis, if they are to reach Athens, while Blackburn and Watford represent awkward hurdles in the last four of the FA Cup. But such has been their steamrollering progress in recent weeks that the likelihood of an unprecedented end to the campaign looms larger with each Cristiano Ronaldo penalty or reminder of Andriy Shevchenko's class. United are aiming to repeat their treble of 1999, while Chelsea have hopes of a staggering quadruple success. The rest can only watch in envy.

The pair's progress into the FA Cup semi-finals on Monday forced the postponement of their scheduled Premiership game at Stamford Bridge on April 15, with the match rearranged for May 9, the penultimate game of the season. The FA Cup final is due to take place at Wembley on May 19, with the Champions League decided four days later in Athens. There was excitement among former United and Chelsea figures yesterday at the thought of such a decisive fortnight.

"It is remarkable it might end with three games between two sides to decide the honours," said Alex Stepney, who enjoyed a brief spell at Chelsea before moving to United, with whom he won the European Cup in 1968. "The managers won't be jumping the gun but, if it does happen, what odds would you have got from the bookmakers at the start of the season? These are two outstanding sides who have dominated in recent times - United for as good as 14 years, and Chelsea as a powerhouse in the last few years. It's open to debate whether it's good for football in this country, but the possibility of two of our clubs getting to the European Cup final suggests British football is strong."

"It's a wonderful prospect," agreed John Hollins, a Chelsea stalwart as a player and a manager of the club in the 80s. "These sides have been superbly consistent, they've had that bit extra to break free of the other challengers, and they've been steered by wonderfully intelligent managers. Whatever their manager has tried, it's come off. Ronaldo has been a revelation . His goals, from whatever angle and with his head as well as his quick feet, have taken the pressure off Wayne Rooney, while Henrik Larsson's signing was a coup by Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Chelsea, dare I say it, have actually cut their squad back from having two players per position but have unearthed utility players of huge talent and value, such as Michael Essien and Lassana Diarra. Those players are invaluable when you're challenging on so many fronts. Both Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex have juggled their selections a bit to keep things fresh but, when they've taken a chance, they've got away with it. That makes it good judgment. At the end of May, though, crunch time could come when they play each other. They can draw in the league, but the others are cut-throat competitions."

The idea has been mooted that these sides could field relatively weakened teams when the FA Cup final returns to Wembley if they have a weightier European Cup to contest just four days later.

"If they both reach the FA Cup final, I'd like to think both clubs would go hell for leather in both competitions and not rest any of their big names," said Paul Parker, the former England defender who represented both clubs in the 90s. "Sir Alex wants a second European Cup to go past Sir Matt Busby, while Mourinho's ego needs the glory of winning the Champions League again. But neither can afford to treat an FA Cup final lightly, even if they have a Champions League final a few days later. "The FA Cup is still a big enough deal for both Sir Alex and Mourinho to treat with respect, and there would be nothing worse for either of them if they were to leave the new Wembley as the first team to lose there."

"It all boils down to that need to secure silverware," added Stepney. "People say the FA Cup is the third priority but I don't think any manager would put a team out that they don't think is capable of winning that game. The mystique is back with the Cup final at Wembley. The FA would consider Chelsea versus United to be a dream final. I'm not sure what Uefa would think but, if it all pans out, what a finale to the season this could be."